The Reliability of iPods

I have my first gen 20 gig iPod in my purse right now. I did go so far
as to put it in a hard plastic case, but beyond that, I've never done
anything special, and it has worked without a hitch for all the years
I've had it. It has been left in the car through extreme heat and
cold, gotten wet, been dropped many a time, and just generally thrown
around.

Because of the above, it's amazing to me when people talk about how
easily they've broken them. Either I got very lucky or am not as hard
on my iPod as I think, or some people out there are really abusing
their toys.

Buy a Creative or Iriver player. They have way more features, and last
longer on average that Ipods do.

I've had mine for 2 years, no problems. :P

My daughter bought one of the expensive iPods a few years ago. It
stopped working after one month. Apple gave her another one, but she
continued to have problems and spent a lot of time in the Apple store.
When the warranty expired, the second one stopped working too, so
Apple gave her a small discount on a Nano. She took very good care of
these iPods, never dropped them, and they were kept in cases.
Needless to say, I wholeheartedly agree with the letter writer.

Not only do people buy this expensive device in the first place, but
they seem willing to put up with just about anything to own one. I
don't get it, and I never will.

These miniature marvels of modern technology are extremely delicate
and I seriously doubt, though murphy's law does happen, that Apple
programs them to go kaput on the 366th day. Three Ipod's in one year
sounds like a fluke, but a true testament to brand loyalty. After the
second, I'd probably start looking at the competition more closely.

Three iPods in a year?! What the hell were they doing with them?! I
bought an iPod last year, and I haven't had one problem. Do you keep
your iPod in a protective case? They're only about $20, or you can get
them on eBay for next to nothing. Also, don't ever leave an iPod in
extreme temperatures. If you're going through an iPod in less than a
year, you're either clumsy or careless.

iPods are overpriced, buy Cowon or Archos.

I have had my 3G iPod for almost four years now... never had a
problem, and besides diminished battery life, it works just fine. I
will upgrade to the 6G iPod when it's released tho.

Almost all electronics carry a one year warranty. You often can
purchase an extended warranty from the retailer, or through Apple
itself. Just like any insurance, it's up to you to decide if the
extended warranty is worth the money to protect your investment.

How about we let a dinosaur weigh in? I don't own an mp3 player or
anything like it. I just have my Sony Discman that I got new back in
December 2000. I've dropped it many times, and it still works great.
Yeah, I feel like a dork when I'm flying with a CD case full of CDs to
listen to while on vacation, but other than that, I have no
complaints.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with mp3 players, because I
suppose you kids have to listen to your rock and/or roll on SOMETHING.

Jeff S.,
My guess is the one year warranty aligns with the rate of change in
technology. In one year the old one is old news...time to upgrade.
BillR.

This letter needs more specifics. You say that someone you know had
three iPods in one year. Did you have an iPod that broke also? If
not why are you writing this letter? Did the friend go through the
iPods because of defects or because of misuse? I know I wouldn't go
replacing an iPod 2 times if it was some sort of defect causing the
issue. My suggestion, rewrite the letter with specifics and include
as many dates as possible.

Most electronic products only have a one year warranty.

Two years ago my mom offered to buy me an MP3 player (or a music
thingy as she called it! LOL) We looked at the Ipods, but I
remembered hearing negative things about the batteries and how they
worked. I opted instead for a plain MP3 player (for 50$) that had
enough memory and ran on 1 AAA battery. I bought 4 rechargable
batteries so I always have one on hand. I've never had a problem with
my MP3 player, and I've dropped it countless times! (Until I finally
bought a case for it)
Sometimes buying into a name brand item isn't always the best deal.
If you know someone that had that many problems, I'd look at a
different brand.

There is an option of buying an extended warrenty, and if you go
through iPods like that, it might be something to look into.

How well are you treating these things? I have a first gen nano, and I
bought a cheap rubber case with it to protect the screen. It's been
basically everywhere since then, and though I take care not to drop it
(and only have twice) it doesn't require much more care.

How do you design a product to break after the warrenty, anyway?

You won't make any friends by accusing them of making a device that
intentionally breaks after the warranty.

Are these problems defects? Or because the iPod was dropped or
otherwise mistreated? The warranty, in theory, doesn't cover what
happens when you drop the iPod, for example.

Battery issues aside (and I totally agree that the battery problem is
an embarrassment)... I know people who still have a perfectly working
1st Geneation iPod. I've never had any problem with mine, except
when... you guessed it... I dropped it.

My advice: get a shock resistant case and take good care of it.